


Dear, You

by Adeline_Hatter



Series: Thy name is Kallura [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Childhood Friends, Cliche Crushes, F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, High School AU, Insert more tags here when I think of them, Minor Allura/Lance (Voltron), Minor Allura/Matt Holt, Minor Allura/Pidge | Katie Holt, Minor Allura/Shiro (Voltron), Modern AU, To All The Boys I Loved Before AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-25
Updated: 2018-10-25
Packaged: 2019-08-07 11:56:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,650
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16408028
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Adeline_Hatter/pseuds/Adeline_Hatter
Summary: Whenever she got a crush, she'd write a letter and let it fade.Of course there was the one guy she'd never written a letter about, that was because she'd known it was over... So why didn't he see that?Now the letters were out and Keith was back........How had she ended up kissing Keith again?





	Dear, You

**Author's Note:**

> Special thanks to AnchoredTether for betaing!!

Letters have always been a staple in her life. 

 

Her parents didn’t like talking over the phone, text or email unless it was urgent. They wrote letters when one of them was across the ocean and unable to get to them, or away in general. 

 

Allura had grown up being gifted pretty things that were always useful in someway, such as hairpins and bands. She didn’t own an excessive amount of shoes when she was smaller, it was mostly books at christmas and the occasional pair of Princess socks. 

 

What her parents loved to get her though were writing sets. She never took the ability to write her own letters to people seriously until her first crush on her neighbour when she was twelve and he’d been just about sixteen.

 

She’s well aware that it was just a passing brush of feelings because he’d been nice to her and helped her when she was in trouble. That’s how crushes worked right? She got over it by the time she was thirteen with the help of a single wing printed letter written two weeks before her birthday. 

 

She traded in the crush on the boy next door for the other boy next door though. 

 

The second letter had been to a boy she’d held very dear, her friend for over two years since her family had moved into the house at the end of the street. 

 

He’d been kind and spiky, but he was softer than most of the other children with her. Especially when she’d been adjusting to moving across the ocean to the states, even if others wrote him off straight away as mean and ignored him most of the time when they couldn’t get him to react to something. 

 

He’d moved away the month before they were due to start at High School and his brother had left for College a week before that. 

 

His letter was the longest, sprawled across pink and red floral paper from Paris that was pristine and elegant whenever she read it back to remember how she’d felt about him. 

 

While the first crush had been superficial… she liked to sometimes believe the second one had been real. 

 

She never thought she’d see either of the two people her first two letters were addressed to ever again. 

 

* * *

 

“Junior year,” She breathes quietly, running her fingers through her hair carefully, wondering how to style it for today, wondering which outfit to wear, “First day.” 

 

Allura Leon was meticulous in how she did certain things, her clothing planning options were always in the open for her. She’d go with something light and floral today. It was still warm enough outside that she could do that in the time she had left. 

 

The dress was pink and ivory, spaghetti straps, sweetheart neckline and belted waist that she pulled tight enough that she can breathe but her waist is apparent, pink roses are printed in a pattern and she feels light with it. 

 

She spun in the centre of her room, attempting to locate the cross strap kitten flapper heels she’d found a month ago in the vintage shop downtown - they would match perfectly with her dress. 

 

Today would be okay, she decides quietly. Even with all the roadblocks in her way. 

 

Today would be okay. 

 

* * *

  
  


The first roadblock shows himself within five minutes of her arriving at school after hacking her parking job and deeming it good enough before she walks into the building. 

 

His hand next to her head on the locker is unnerving, but she keeps her gaze straight ahead as her lips curl up in revulsion.  

 

A whole summer and he still has that dumb purple under dye in his hair, purple nail polish thick on his fingernails and she’s still uncomfortable remembering where exactly he’d attempted to put those hands when they had dated. 

 

“So, how does seven sound?” Lotor Gale asks all charming grin that everyone adores, everyone trusts. She fell for it once upon a time - she never would again,  _ never again  _ she’d vowed to herself before she’d crushed on Lance McClain-Serrano for the summer.

 

Which had been a mistake, because she only felt friendship towards him. 

 

“Sounds like a  _ two.”  _ She shoots back at him, making to leave even if she didn’t have her books from her locker that she needed for first period, “What are you even asking me?” 

 

Lotor leans a little more into her personal space and she recoils, “That business dinner with our fathers of course.”    
  
“It’s a  _ company event,  _ not some casual dinner that I need a date to.” 

 

“It would show the companies and our fathers that our relationship is still strong Dove-” She watches as the blonde haired boy is shoved aside by a hip, Lotor stops dead as he’s moved away from her “Oi! Can’t you see I’m busy here?” Her hand curls into a fist.

 

_ It’s the hair, _ she thinks. It’s the hair that’s familiar, then the eyes stone at first before coming to rest on her “You didn’t look it,” he says and his voice is a little deeper but it’s him. 

 

“I was finalising date plans, thank you very much,” Lotor speaks so matter of factly and her fist gets a little tighter. 

 

The boy who shares a name with the address on her second letter, looping in black ink looks her over again, “Are you sure? It looks like she’s about to punch you.” She bites back her smile. 

* * *

_ To whomever, it concerns, he is the sweetest boy I have ever known or will ever know.  _

* * *

  
  
  


Lotor scoffs, but decides he’s not worth his time as he moves her over one locker, he leans towards her again, just close enough for her to jam her knee up the minute he’s in position.

 

She feels the breath rush out of him as he slowly sinks to the floor in front of her as she turns and looks the other boy in the eyes. 

* * *

_ His eyes are the softest things I have ever looked into, I love those eyes.  _

* * *

  
  


“Lovely to see you again, Kogane,” Allura speaks to Keith with practised ease, watches his eyes seemingly light up in familiarity before she steps over Lotor in one pink flapper kitten heel. 

 

She doesn’t think she imagines the dark eyes on her back as her heels clack on the floor. 

 

* * *

_ But oh, I do so hate that you left, Keith.  _

* * *

 

He hasn’t changed, that’s possibly the most infuriating part out of Keith showing up two years late with  _ New-ish Kid  _ written all over him, he’s familiar but different all at once. 

 

It’s like she’s looking at someone new who just  _ looks  _ like the boy she spent most of her time with when she was 12, crushing on his older brother and then ultimately him for the last year of their friendship. 

 

Keith Kogane shows up in her homeroom, then her first period and now here in the second period she’s stuck looking at the back of his stupid red flannel shirt, his stupid fucking  _ mullet  _ that’s a little longer than it used to be but it’s still a  _ mullet.  _

 

This wasn’t the eighties anymore. 

 

She can recite exactly what Lance is going to say the moment he sees Keith is back, she knows her best friend well enough by now to know what he’ll say. 

 

Knows him well enough to know he’s crushing on the little genius wiz kid in the corner of her advanced physics class… But she’s getting off topic. 

 

Because  _ Keith  _ is sitting in front of her in said class, paying attention to what Professor Verdura is saying unlike her. Who is staring at his  _ back  _ and wondering when he came back into town. 

  
She knew his family still owned the house next door to hers - heck, Shiro had moved in there when he’d started teaching at the local College a few months ago, her Father had had him over for dinner a good few times but why wouldn’t Keith’s  _ brother  _ mention that he was coming back? 

 

Other classes pass, she’s aware but her mind is still on the boy who seems to be in every one of them…..   
  
A hand waves in front of her face, “Allura?” 

 

“Hm? Oh! Sorry, Hunk.” Lunch is her only solace from Keith’s presence, or so she thinks but he’s still there. In the back of her mind, back…  _ He’s B a c k.  _

 

_ And Hot Damn-  _

 

“It’s okay, I just need someone to talk to.” He smiles briefly at her, before he trades his eyes across the table subtly at the two other members of her friend group of her bickering again.

 

Lance McClain-Serrano, the fourth letter stashed away in her room. 

 

And Katie ‘Pidge’ Holt, local wizkid and the fifth and final letter hidden along with the others.

 

Both had been short lived crushes. 

 

Mainly because they’d always been crushing more on each other than she ever had been on them. 

 

She perches her arm on the counter, “Do you think they’ve even heard a word anyone else has said?” Her question is quiet towards her friend next to her, who grins in amusement as she smiles back carefully. 

 

“We can hear you,” Pidge drawls, not moving her eyes as the bickering had become a staring contest between the two of them, “And you’re one to talk, you’ve been staring at the back of one Keith Kogane all day.” 

 

That makes Lance break concentration, “Keith’s back?” A small pale hand chooses that moment to steal the last of his fries. “Hey!” 

 

Pidge started to eat them with victory glowing on her features, looking so very pleased with herself to the point that Allura and Hunk watch as Lance seems to just get caught on the way she’s moving. 

 

“Please get a room.” Allura states plainly, watches them both freeze, sees the matching blushes that start to climb up their faces as Hunk snorts into his hand, “Because, I honestly do not want to watch you both make out in the canteen.” 

 

Lance splutters, Pidge is silent but slowly sinking into her chair. 

 

“You are my hero,” Hunk mutters and she sends him a thin wiry smile. 

 

* * *

  
  


Allura has a long history of keeping her cool in situations that other people would find difficult, a simple smile here, a polite word there, never stopping long enough to feel like yelling is a possibility. 

 

She  _ almost  _ goes the whole day without needing to use any of these skills but is reminded exactly what happened bar seeing Keith again this morning when she steps out of the school, leaning up against  _ Her car.  _

 

It’s barely three o’clock in the afternoon and the horrible jacket Lotor is wearing is going to scratch her blue beetle, her pride and joy. “Get off of my car, Lotor.” Her voice is cold and commanding, she wants him gone. 

 

“Darling, come on-” He speaks and all of her composure flies out the window, it’s been months of this and she’s sick of it.    
  
“I will shove you in the ditch behind the school, Lotor, and they will never find your body, I swear to move your cheating ass and get the _ fuck _ off of my car.” She keeps her sweetest smile on her face throughout the whole sentence, “We broke up because if I remember correctly you lied to my face.” 

 

“I never lied Allura, you never asked,” he shoots back and she scowls. Now they’re both losing it. “So what if I changed a few things up, dove, we’re still strong as ever-” 

 

She pulls her phone out, “Get off my car!” She yells and now other students are pausing to stare and whisper. She doesn’t care.

 

“Come to dinner with me this evening.”

 

“No.” She shoots back loudly - maybe Pidge and Lance hadn’t left yet, but she had had Student Council so the chance was slim and Hunk would have left as soon as possible due to his cooking classes. 

 

Allura is very close to just calling the family driver, seeing if he can leave her father long enough to take her home. She’s staring Lotor dead in the eyes and he’s talking but she’s not listening anymore.

 

“It is not my fault that you refuse to even consider talking to me about our relationship, Allura-” 

 

She opens her lips to yell when a hand lands on her shoulder, “Want a ride?” 

 

Keith doesn’t even acknowledge Lotor, he just removes his hand after getting her attention and slides it smoothly into his back pocket. She looks between him and offers a simple glance to Lotor. 

 

“I am having some car trouble.” Allura speaks quietly, regular student traffic has resumed around them, “I would love one.” 

 

Her answer is partly because of Lotor, but also partly because this is the first thing Keith has said to her directly in two years. 

 

“I brought Shiro’s car today,” he goes on casually, in that low slow tone that fits his demeanour and voice, “It’s a little old but my bike’s in the shop. Sound good?” 

 

She smiles, turning to face him fully and ignoring the slowly rising scowl on Lotor’s face. “Sounds wonderful.” 

 

* * *

  
  


“Shiro’s car hasn’t changed,” he states as she stares at the 1997 Jeep Wrangler in white and black parked under the tree in the corner of the car park. “I really wish it had.” 

 

Allura cocks an eyebrow at him as he unlocks the door and opens the passenger side for her. “What’s wrong with a Jeep?”

 

“Nothing, just that he’s had it since he was in high school and he needs an upgrade.” There’s a small smile as he slides into the driver’s seat but she’s still wary as she sits down in the passenger side, placing her bag at her feet. “So, you don’t have to tell me but that guy…?”

 

She sighs, shutting the door behind her with a quiet slam. “Ex, since the end of Sophomore year.” 

 

They fade into awkward silence as he starts the engine and she looks out the window. Lotor is still staring after them, leaning up against her car and she wonders when she’ll be able to fetch it, or if she can send someone else to get it for her. 

 

“How’s your Dad?” he asks quietly, sliding everything into position and pulling out of the parking space. He’s focused both on the motions of the car and her.

 

Keith is ever so smooth with every movement he makes in the driver’s seat, like the car has become less an external force and more a part of him. 

 

“Dads, plural,” she replies, “My Father got remarried a year ago to Coran.”

 

He doesn’t look shocked as he keeps his eyes on the road. “Your Godfather?” She nods. “That’s…” 

 

“Good, it’s good.” Allura says it with a small smile, “They’re really happy, I’m happy for them… Even if I have to deal with Coran’s cooking.” She laughs, ease filling her the longer she’s in Keith’s presence. “How’s your Mother?” 

 

His fingers tap as he curves into a turn. “Still stationed out in Arizona - says she’ll make it back for Christmas with Shiro and me though.” 

 

“I can’t wait to see her again.” They lapse into silence, but it isn’t the awkward kind as they pull onto their street and Keith pulls up to the front of her house. “Thank you for the ride.” 

 

Keith opens his mouth to reply when another voice rings out, “IS THAT KEITH?” They both stall in the car as the ginger-haired mustached man runs forwards in a sunhat holding a pair of shears. “Goodness me! It’s been years!” 

 

“Hi,” Keith replies a little weakly, his eyes wide, a little pleading. “It hasn’t been that long Mr. Smythe-” 

 

“None of that! Come on, out you get, let me get a good look at you!” Cautiously, Keith pulls himself out of the driver’s seat as Allura hops out the passenger’s side. “It’s Coran, you know that! Only my business associates call me Mr. Smythe - makes me sound like an old man for heaven’s sake! And I assure you, I am very much still kicking.” 

 

Allura stifles her laugh as she watches Coran start to drag Keith up their porch steps. 

 

* * *

  
  


“So, how was military school? I heard it was your Mother’s old academy? Alfor and I considered sending Allura to her Mother’s old finishing school back across the pond for them but we decided against it.” Coran babbles a mile a minute as she sets the tea set on the table. “Isn’t that right Allura?”

 

She nods, sitting down and starting to pour the tea. “Uh, it was fine,” Keith gets out and before he can elaborate, Coran is off again. 

 

“Oh! Excellent, I remember hearing about how excellent the Mamora Academy was when we used to get together as chaperones for the school dances!” He picks up his teacup. “I also hear that they have an excellent piloting program? Isn’t that what you wanted to be when you were younger? A pilot?”

 

He sips his tea and Keith blinks. “You remember that?” 

 

Coran laughs with a cheery smile. “Of course I do, you were over here every weekend with the newest facts about planes that your Mother talked about being on the airfield.” 

 

“I remember there was this one plane you’d never shut up about…” Allura slides forwards the plate of jammy dodgers. “What was it again? A fighter right?” 

 

Keith seems to perk up immediately. “Planes were always Shiro’s kind of thing, but since he can’t fly them anymore he’s taken up designing them.” 

 

“Yes yes, we know all about Shiro, I would like to know what you’ve been up to.” He waves off Keith’s answers like it’s nothing. “Come on, it’s my day off and I’d like to catch up with one of Allura’s old friends.”

 

She watches Keith freeze in reaching for a biscuit. “Uh, I’m doing okay and yeah… It was a kind of fighter…” He coughs, looking a little more uncomfortable. “A Lockhead SR-71.” 

 

“Ah! A Blackbird!” Coran jumps in immediately. “Are they still considered one of the fastest planes in existence?” 

 

Another blink. “I like to think so, Coran.” 

 

“Wonderful.” Coran smiles. “Would you like to stay for dinner? Alfor’s picking up Chinese on his way home.” 

 

There’s something hidden in her step-father’s face, she tucks a piece of her hair behind her ear as she turns away from Keith to frown for a second towards him. 

 

Her reply is given in the form of a raised eyebrow.

 

“Uh, I should really be getting home… But, maybe another time?” Keith’s words are slow, awkward, but… Hope flutters in her chest, warmth climbs up her face just a tad and she can feel her lips quirking up into a bigger smile. 

 

Coran nods, smiling a bit more widely. “Another time soon.” 

 

* * *

  
  


“I am sorry,” she breathes, wrapping her jacket around her a bit as she walks him down the path back to where the jeep was parked. He’d have to move it into his driveway next door to the right of her house. “He’s just a bit excitable.” 

 

Keith has his hands in his pockets, he’s taller than her now  and she realises it’s distracting that she has to look up a little to look him in the eyes. “It’s okay, honestly he’s almost exactly how I remember him.” 

 

Her laugh is short. “Still, he kind of dragged you into the house without much reason.” 

 

“Yeah… He really hasn’t changed.” 

 

She blinks. “What do you mean-” 

 

“KEITH!” They both jumped. “I NEED MY CAR!” 

 

With a short eyeroll, Keith smiled. “See you tomorrow?” 

 

“Yeah.” Allura smiles up at him warmly. “See you tomorrow.” 

 

She watches as Keith runs up to where Shiro is standing on their porch, before twisting on her heels and turning back towards her house, waving to the older of the two brothers who waved back. 

 

There’s music playing in the kitchen as she shuts the door. “I’ll be up in my room!” She calls as she slides her heels off with one hand and sets her toes on the plush beige carpet of the stairs. 

 

Warmth sings through her chest, she takes the stairs two at a time, falling back onto her bed the moment she can.

 

Her eyes settle on the ceiling before she snaps them open again, her smile still plastered there, it was ridiculous really… 

 

Allura sits up, looks around her room and then reaches under her bed, pulling out the worn birch box. Her name curls across the top in the light blue paint, her Mother’s artwork. 

 

She lets her fingers drift over the box before moving off of her bed towards her desk. 

 

It’s set there carefully, but she needed a shower first and then she’d indulge herself in the past. 

 

She leaves it there, slightly cracked open as she collects up a towel. 

  
  


* * *

 

The washing machine is on in the laundry room when she comes downstairs clad in her fluffy pyjamas, holding her laptop and the books she needs so she can do her homework. 

 

A cup of salted caramel hot chocolate sits at the kitchen table waiting for her as Coran moves about the kitchen, cleaning up. Her father was due home in about five minutes.

 

She paused in picking it up when she spotted something on the counter.

 

“Coran?” 

 

“Yes?” 

 

“Why is the box my Mum gave me on the counter?” She asks because it sits there shining.

 

“I found it in your room when I went to get the laundry, thought it could do with a polish, dear.” 

 

“Oh.” That was fine. 

 

Coran claps as he sets the last of the washing up in the dryer. “And don’t worry, I made sure those letters got to be sent with Mr. Lively.” 

 

It takes a moment. 

 

_ Oh gods, oh no, no no no no no. _

 

_ “ _ Shit.” 


End file.
